Report: Recall, stop-sale issued on 2010-11 Subaru Outback and Legacy models over gearbox flaw

Filed under: Sedan, Wagon, Recalls, Safety, Crossover, Subaru

2010 Subaru Outback

2010 Subaru Outback – Click above for high-res image gallery

Once again, Subaru’s mainstay models, the Outback and Legacy, appear to be girding for a recall. Both models have already faced callbacks for leaky CVT hoses and wiring issues, but according to Inside Line, a new issue affecting a number of manual transmission-equipped 2010 and 2011 models will not only precipitate another recall, but also a stop-sale on all potentially-affected vehicles.

According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, the oil lubrication hole in the six-speed manual transmission has not been drilled on the affected vehicles, which can cause gears to break. NHTSA issued a statement, saying:

“If the transmission gears are not properly lubricated, a groaning sound may begin to develop, alerting the driver to a problem. If this sound is ignored and no action is taken, the gears will eventually break and this condition will lead to vehicle power loss, possibly resulting in a crash.”

Vehicles will be repaired, free of charge, at any Subaru dealer in America. Most will simply have an oil lubrication hole drilled, though the automaker has informed its dealer network that vehicles with 6,250 miles or more will require the replacement of the third through sixth gearsets, as well as the main shaft.

A total of 809 Outback and Legacy models are affected by this recall, which is expected to officially go into effect on August 6. In the meantime, owners are urged to contact their local dealers as soon as possible to have this problem corrected.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Subaru Outback

Photos by Jonathon Ramsey / Copyright (C)2010 AOL

[Source: Inside Line]

Report: Recall, stop-sale issued on 2010-11 Subaru Outback and Legacy models over gearbox flaw originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 24 Jul 2010 09:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Subaru’s new ads and their double-entendres

Filed under: Sedan, Performance, Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Hatchback, Subaru

Subaru take the public for a ride in the 2011 WRX STI sedan – Click above to watch video after the jump

Call us sadistic, but there’s something undeniably hilarious about yanking random people off of the street and plopping them into the passenger seat of a sports car. Throw a talented race driver behind the tiller, and you’ve got an unmatched recipe for entertainment. Subaru has decided to take a stroll down that path with a slew of new ads designed to introduce the new 2011 WRX STI sedan to the public. The company asked rally driver Dave Mirra to shuffle a few folk around under an overpass in the 305 horsepower turbo four-door, filmed the whole thing and called it a day.

Subaru has unveiled a total of five 30-second spots with a variety of regular Joes (and Janes) riding shotgun in the winged machine. The company is calling the campaign Get More Gs, and Subaru is quick to point out that the phrase is meant to equally focus on g forces as much as that “oh geez” feeling you get from slinging the car through a slalom. We see what you did there, Subaru. Hit the jump to enjoy the videos. Now… where can we get a skull antenna topper?

Gallery: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI: First Drive

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading Video: Subaru’s new ads and their double-entendres

Video: Subaru’s new ads and their double-entendres originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Return of the wing

Filed under: Budget, Sedan, Performance, Hatchback, Subaru, First Drive

2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Click above for high-res image gallery

By most accounts, something went awry while Subaru was baking the last generation Impreza WRX STI. Maybe someone slipped in an extra cup of civility or forgot to add enough dashes of hardcore, but what was once little more than a thinly-disguised rally stage escapee had come out of the oven a little weaker than its predecessor. Subaru itself diplomatically admits that the priorities for the last generation STI were somewhat different from the 2011 model. The company stripped the line down to just the five-door hatchback in 2008, stressing functionality over style, and the whole recipe simply felt less focused than what we had come to expect from Japan’s all-wheel drive hero.

But that was then, and this is now. The company assures us that for 2011, we can expect a return to the fundamentals that helped establish the STI as a force to be reckoned with. Though the drivetrain remains unchanged, a slew of suspension adjustments and a lower stance have given the STI the ability to hoover up tarmac and gravel stages indiscriminately once again. It isn’t a completely new generation – more like a much needed do-over – but the changes are enough to make the 2011 model instantly recognizable from behind the wheel.

If that’s not enough to convince you, allow us to direct your attention to the rear of the resurrected four-door body style, dominated once again by the kind of spoiler that could double as a civil engineering exercise. Yeah, baby. The STI is back, and on more than just a wing and a prayer.

Gallery: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI: First Drive

Photos by Zach Bowman / Copyright (C)2010 Weblogs, Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Return of the wing

First Drive: 2011 Subaru Impreza WRX STI – Return of the wing originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 19 Jul 2010 12:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Subaru Outback adds in-car Wi-Fi

Filed under: Car Buying, SUV, Technology, Subaru

Subaru Outback

2010 Subaru Outback – Click above for high-res image gallery

Ford’s SYNC does 3G WiFi, and with the help of Autonet so do GM, Chrysler, Avis, some school buses and now Subaru. The Japanese automaker has put WiFi on the options list of the 2011 Subaru Outback for the pretty standard price of $499 as a dealer-installed option. That’ll get you an encrypted connection good within 150 feet of the car, and it can be used while the car is in motion. The subscription is $29 per month after that, and Subaru is gracious enough to pick up the first three months for you. Follow the jump for the full press release.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Subaru Outback

[Source: Subaru]

Continue reading 2011 Subaru Outback adds in-car Wi-Fi

2011 Subaru Outback adds in-car Wi-Fi originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 17 Jul 2010 15:38:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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